Published: Wednesday, 01 June, 2016 10:30 AM
Brand article - on Audi
Management Gurus have always opined that Brand will be born and dying during Brand life cycles and will need push for their sustainability.
When one talks about luxury, comfort, sophistication, quality and style in automobiles, Audi is one brand which instantly comes to mind. Ever since it began production at the turn of the 20th century, this German automobile manufacturer has maintained its reputation of producing the finest automobiles in the world.
The beginnings of Audi can be traced to 1899, when August Horch, a German engineer founded Horch& Cie., building his first car. Due to differences with the board, he moved on to launch a second car company by the name of ‘Audi’, which is the Latin translation of his surname ‘horch or hear.’ The company was registered as Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau in the Zwickau registration court in 1910, and produced its first automobile, the Audi Type A Sport Phaeton and its successor, Type B in the same year.
Evolvement of Audi Logo
The logo of the company with its four rings identifies and symbolizes the amalgamation of four previously independent motor-vehicle manufacturers: Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer in 1932, that formed Auto Union AG. The modern era of Audi essentially began in the 1960s when Volkswagen acquired Auto Union. It merged Auto Union with NSUMotorenwerke AG (another German automobile manufacturer acquired by Volkswagen in 1969)to create the present day form of the company- AUDI AG.
The company’s commitment to technological advancement and path-breaking innovations is captured brilliantly in its mission statement and tagline: “VorsprungdurchTechnik” or “Advancement Through Technology.”
The rise of Audi has been marked by a flurry of path-breaking innovations: fully galvanised bodies, the most aerodynamic volume-built saloon of its time, the extensive use of turbocharged petrol engines, the development of economical direct-injection diesel engines, the aluminium body, the first hybrid vehicles, direct petrol injection and the manufacture of luxury-class cars with eight and twelve-cylinder engines are just some of the many innovations that have positioned Audi as one of the best premium car manufacturers in the world.
Headquartered in Ingolstadt, Germany, today, Audi has 11 production facilities in around 9 countries. The major markets for Audi include USA, UK, Germany, China and Brazil. In India, Audi has seen a consistent rise, selling 11,192 units in 2015, a 3.14% jump from the previous year. India has turned out to be a profitable market for Audi and the company has set ambitious targets for itself, and is looking to increase its investments in India, seeing the long term potential
It proudly stands at 36th in the Forbes List of the world’s most valuable brands, valued at $14 billion. Its sales have steadily grown from 653,000 in 2000 to 1.8 million in 2015. The Audi portfolio includes over 50 different model variants today available in more than 100 countries. Some of the best- selling and popular models include Audi A1, A3, A4, TT Coupe, Q5, Q7 among others,
Brand Audi has built considerable prestige and goodwill for its automobiles, with which people (who have the resources) like to be associated. It has managed to retain its position as a valued automobile manufacturer despite facing tough competition from the likes of Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari and its nearest rival BMW.
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